The present invention relates to an image processing device and an image processing method, and more particularly, to an image processing device and an image processing method, and a recording medium whereon programs for same are recorded, whereby it is possible to represent smoothly the movement of objects in a xe2x80x9cvideo gamexe2x80x9d.
With progress in computer technology, video game devices (image processing devices) using computer graphics technology have come to be widely used. Video games featuring objects of a variety of game characters, for example, people or animals, are very popular, and many different video game devices of this kind have been proposed.
In video game devices of this kind, a more realistic representation of objects is sought, whereby the joints of objects move in a natural manner.
There also exists so-called xe2x80x9cmotion capturexe2x80x9d technology, which records realistic human movement. The process of using motion data generated by this motion capture technology to influence the movement of a virtual object is known as xe2x80x9cinverse kinematicsxe2x80x9d. When applying xe2x80x9cinverse kinematicsxe2x80x9d to a game device, or the like, it is necessary for this data of different specifications to be converted efficiently.
Moreover, if a real entity, for example, a singer, or the user him or herself is to be represented as a virtual object using this motion capture technology, then it is advantageous if a number of representations of this object are taken, using camerawork, special effects, and the like, in order to provide rich and interesting video images.
A first purpose of the present invention is to provide image processing technology whereby a object, which moves in a natural manner and approximates the movement of a real entity more closely than a conventional object, can be represented.
A second purpose of the present invention is to convert efficiently data of different specifications, when using motion data recording the movements of a real entity to influence the movements of a virtual object.
A third purpose of the present invention is to provide image processing technology whereby images, in which a variety of presentations conducted by a real entity are appended to a object, can be recorded and reproduced.
In an image processing device composed such that it displays a prescribed object whilst changing the shape thereof, this invention comprises: a first memory for recording information for first polygons which form a portion of the object; a second memory for recording information for second polygons, which form a further portion of the object and are linked to the first polygons; and processing means for changing the shapes of the second polygons in accordance with movement of the first polygons, when the shape of the object is changed, on the basis of the first polygon information recorded in the first memory and the second polygon information recorded in the second memory, such that no gaps are produced between the first polygons and the second polygons.
In the specification of the present invention, the following definitions are used. Polygons are polygonal shapes which are combined to represent an object. For example if an object is a virtual human body, the object is formed by a combination of parts objects representing various region such as the head, upper arms, lower arms, shoulders, thigh region, lower leg region, etc. of a body that moves as a single entity. (Hereinafter, called xe2x80x9cpartxe2x80x9d).
The present invention is characterized by its approach which involves applying different types of polygons to different areas of a object. For example, parts formed by second polygons are applied to the joint regions of a object, and parts formed by first polygons, which do not expand or contract, are applied to other regions thereof. Since the second polygons which are caused to perform complex movement are applied only to regions which expand and contract in an actual entity, it is possible to complete calculational processing for a object within the frame period forming the image transmission cycle, provided that the device used has a prescribed processing capacity.
In this invention, the object comprises a plurality of the first polygons, and the second polygons are positioned such that no gaps are formed between the second polygons and the first polygons.
In this invention, the first polygons and the second polygons share vertices in a portion thereof, and information for the first polygons and information for the second polygons is represented such that the vertices of either a first polygon or a second polygon refer to the vertices of the other polygon, and the processing means uses information for the vertices of one polygon in drawing the other polygon.
In this invention, when information for the first polygons and information for the second polygons is represented by index values in a buffer which stores information for respective polygon vertices, the sharing of vertices is represented by setting the index values to negative values.
In this invention, the object is apllied to a person, animal, or the like, appearing in a game, and the second polygons are applied to regions of the object which bend.
In this invention, the second polygons are applied to the head of an object.
In this invention, the second polygons are applied to a region from the chest to below the armpits of an object.
In this invention, the second polygons are applied to the elbows and wrists of an object.
In this invention, the second polygons are applied to a region from the feet to the toes of an object.
In this invention, selectable texture data is mapped onto at least one of the first polygons and the second polygons.
In this invention, the texture data is a photograph of a human face taken using a three-dimensional scanner.
In this invention, the texture data simulates clothing.
In an image processing method for displaying a prescribed object whilst changing the shape thereof, the present invention comprises a processing step whereby, when the shape of the object changes, the shapes of second polygons linked to first polygons comprising the image are changed in accordance with the movement of the first polygons such that no gaps are produced between the first polygons and the second polygons.
In this invention, the first polygons and the second polygons share vertices in a portion thereof, the vertices of a first polygon or a second polygon are represented by referring to the vertices of the other polygon, and the processing step uses information for the vertices of one polygon in drawing the other polygon.
This invention is a recording medium whereon programs for causing the aforementioned processing steps to be implemented in a computer are stored.
Here, a xe2x80x9crecording mediumxe2x80x9d may be, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD, ROM cartridge, RAM memory cartridge with battery back-up, flash memory cartridge, fixed RAM cartridge, or the like.
Furthermore, a wired communications medium, such as a telephone circuit, or a radio communications medium, such as a microwave circuit, may also be used. The Internet is included in this definition of communications media.
Specifically, a recording medium is a entity whereby information (mainly digital data and programs,) can be recorded by a physical means of some kind, and it is able to cause a processing device, such as a computer, special processor, or the like, to implement prescribed functions. In brief, it should enable programs to be downloaded into a computer by some means or other, thereby causing the computer to execute prescribed functions.
In an image processing device composed such that it can display a prescribed object whilst moving the object, this invention comprises: a memory which records information relating to a first element, a second element and a third element, which are mutually linked and form the object; and a processing section which changes the shape of the first element and the second element about prescribed axes, on the basis of the information recorded in the memory, and which conducts processing on the basis of the positional relationship between the second element and the third element, when the prescribed axes cannot be determined on the basis of the first element and the second element.
In this invention, the processing section changes the shape of the first element and the second element about a normal to these elements, and when the first element and the second element lie on a straight line, it changes the shape about a normal to the second element and the third element.
In an image processing method whereby a prescribed object is displayed whilst being moved, this invention comprises: a first step whereby, with respect to a first element, a second element and a third element which are mutually linked and form the object, the shape of the first element and the second element are changed about prescribed axes; and a second step whereby processing is conducted on the basis of the positional relationship between the second element and the third element, when the prescribed axes cannot be determined on the basis of the first element and the second element.
In this invention, the first step changes the shape of the first element and the second element about a normal to these elements, and the second step changes the shape about a normal to the second element and the third element, when the first element and the second element lie on a straight line.
This invention is a recording medium whereon programs for causing the aforementioned processing steps to be implemented in a computer are recorded.
In an image processing device which displays a prescribed object whilst changing its shape, this invention comprises: presentation control means for controlling the presentation of an image containing the object which changes in shape; viewpoint determining means for determining the position of a viewpoint for capturing an image containing the object by means of the presentation control means; and recording means for recording an image obtained from the viewpoint determined by the viewpoint determining means.
The presentation control means controls, for example, changes in the shape of an object wherein a single person, or the like, is taken as a object. The object is composed on the basis of polygon data, for example. The presentation control means changes the vertex coordinates for each polygon data as time passes, and changes the movement of the whole object.
The viewpoint determining means determines, for example, the position (viewpoint) of a camera capturing an image of this object in a virtual space. The position of this viewpoint is determined on the basis of the operations of the game player.
The recording means records, for example, images in a virtual space taken from the aforementioned viewpoint, as image data in a time series.
In this invention, the presentation control means changes the shape of the object on the basis of data obtained by capturing the movement of each part of an object moving in a real space. For example, if the object is a person, then it captures the movement of this person and changes the shape of the object such that it performs a movement simulating the movement of a person.
In this invention, the presentation control means uses texture data obtained by scanning a portion of the object by means of a three-dimensional scanner as texture data for a portion of the object. For example, if the object is to simulate the shape of a particular person, then that person""s face is input by means of a three-dimensional scanner and used as texture data for the portion of the object corresponding to the face.
In this invention, the presentation control means selects, on the basis of the player""s operations, the shape of the object, the pattern of change in this object, the type of texture data applied to this object, or the type of sound emitted when the object changes shape. If the object is a person, then, for example, the shape may correspond to the physical shape of that person, the changes in shape, to the pattern in which that person is dancing, and the texture data, to the clothing that the person is wearing. The type of sound corresponds to the music that the person is dancing to.
In this invention, the presentation control means displays at least one other object which is different to the object, and changes the shape of this other object also. For example, if the object is a person, then the other object may correspond to a dancing girl who is dancing behind this person.
In this invention, the presentation control means conducts a presentation wherein prescribed illumination is provided in accordance with changes in the shape of the object. For example, in a case where the object is modeled on a dancing person, the illumination may comprise multi-coloured lighting, spotlights and flash lights. Moreover, the image may also be such that beams of light are transmitted from a portion of the object depicting a person. Illumination simulating fireworks may also be displayed.
In this invention, the presentation control means conducts a presentation wherein a prescribed image pattern appears in a position corresponding to the foreground or background of the object, in accordance with the change in the shape of the object. For example, the image pattern may be a texture pattern corresponding to a stage or scenery, or a pattern simulating smoke, or a pattern containing shooting stars.
In this invention, the recording means can pause recording of the image on the basis of the player""s operations, and the presentation control means can change the presentation of this image whilst the recording of the image is paused by the recording means. Since the recording is paused whilst the presentation is changed, when the image ultimately recorded by the recording means is reproduced, the scene changes at the point where recording was paused. In this way, a visual effect is obtained whereby the presentation of the image is altered each time the scene changes.
In this invention, the viewpoint determining means changes the relative position information of the viewpoint to the object on the basis of the player""s operations. For example, if the object simulates a dancing person, a visual effect is obtained which is similar to that taken by a single camera which moves whilst looking at the person.
In this invention, the recording means pauses the recording of the image on the basis of the player""s operations, and the viewpoint determining means changes the position of the viewpoint whilst the recording of the image is paused by the recording means. According to this invention, since the camera angle can change each time the scene changes, a rapid visual effect similar to switching of images in a commercial broadcast where a stage is filmed by a plurality of cameras, can be provided.
In this invention, the recording means reproduces a recorded series of images at the same speed as that used when recording these images.
In this invention, the recording means reproduces a recorded series of images at a different speed to that used when recording these images. For example, fast forward, pause operations, or the like, are possible.
In this invention, the recording means reproduces a recorded series of images in a different sequence to that used when recording these images. For example, reverse playback, repeat playback, loop playback, and the like, are possible.
In an image processing device, wherein said virtual space has an inhibited area in which said viewpoint can not be located, and said viewpoint determining means changes said viewpoint position information out of said inhibited area.
In an image processing method for displaying a prescribed object whilst changing the shape of the object, this invention comprises: a presentation control step for controlling the presentation of an image containing the object which changes in shape; a viewpoint determining step for determining the position of a viewpoint for capturing an image containing the object by means of the presentation control step; and a recording step for recording images obtained from the viewpoint determined by the viewpoint determining step.
This invention is a recording medium whereon programs for causing the aforementioned processing steps to be implemented in a computer are recorded.
In a game image display method for displaying images wherein an object located in a virtual space is captured from a certain viewpoint, this invention comprises the steps of: positioning a first object and a second object in the virtual space such that the second object is rotatable in one direction with respect to the first object, whilst its rotation in the other direction is restricted; inserting an elastic object between the first and second objects, which expands and contracts such that no gap is produced between the first and second objects with the rotation of the second objects; preparing data for the elastic object such that the elastic object has a larger surface area on the side of the smaller angle formed between the first and second objects when the second object is rotated with respect to the first object, than its surface area on the opposite side.